Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

When it comes to addiction treatment, talk therapy is a critical tool. One of the most effective and widely used forms is cognitive behavioral therapy. Learn more about how it plays a key role in both addiction treatment and ongoing pain management at Driftwood Recovery.

Defining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, aims to limit negative thinking and encourage positive action. Unlike many other forms of therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy is a short-term program recommended just once a week. Most individuals will complete the program in fewer than 10 months.

Objectives of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Therapists and counselors at Driftwood Recovery use cognitive behavioral therapy to solve a specifically defined problem. Whether that’s maintaining their sobriety from prescription medication or dealing with a source of chronic pain, we find it works best for focusing on specific client issues.

We utilize CBT to disrupt negative thought patterns that can impact behavior. Dysfunctional assumptions may be incorrectly founded, negative thoughts that drive people to make poor choices.

By immediately addressing dysfunctional assumptions and then correcting negative patterns into positive ones, it becomes easier for individuals to make healthy choices. By enlisting cognitive processes, clients can make logical, informed decisions rather than emotionally-fueled ones.

Understanding Dysfunctional Assumptions

A dysfunctional assumption is a relatively fixed assumption created out of past experiences. For example, children might think that since their mother isn’t speaking to them, they must have done something wrong. Teens might think that if they don’t drink alcohol at a party, then their friends will reject them. These assumptions play on fear combined with past experience, and it can lead people to act inappropriately.

Dysfunctional assumptions aren’t inherently bad. Often, they encourage people to go to work, study for exams and follow the law. People act appropriately because their dysfunctional assumptions tell them that not acting appropriately will lead to negative results.

Challenging Automatic Thoughts

In drug addiction treatment, dysfunctional assumptions play a major role in CBT. That’s because dysfunctional assumptions can lead to automatic thoughts, which often crop up when failure occurs. For many, struggling with addiction equates to failure.

Automatic thoughts are responses to dysfunctional assumptions that aren’t always logical. For example, a person in rehab might think, “I have failed, and no one one will love me.” Or, a person could think, “I relapsed, so I don’t deserve another chance at treatment.”

Cognitive behavioral therapy works to point out these automatic thoughts and process the information in a new way. CBT promotes the idea that failure in one area won’t lead to a life without love, and that relapse doesn’t mean the end of treatment.

How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Differs From Other Types of Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy during Driftwood Recovery’s inpatient rehab is different from many other types of therapy. Most notably, it’s rigid in structure, and there is an end date to treatment. In addition, therapists actively collaborate with their patients. Finally, CBT involves homework, often asking patients to think about an issue over the week and come up with alternatives to negative or harmful automatic thoughts.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is just one of several evidence-based approaches to overcoming an addiction. At Driftwood Recovery, our therapists use it in various treatment programs to combat relapse and focus on a healthy, happy and fulfilling life.